Massage for the Fading Face

Madam! If you do not take care of your face, it will not take care of itself. You must therefore treat your face with gentleness and care, so that it may be a source of pride to you. The question of age is not important: whether you are thirty, or forty, or fifty, you can, if you lend your face a little of your attention, take five or ten years off your age; for paint can work a wondrous change in the features of a woman's face, improving the shape of her mouth and adding to the sparkle of her eyes. But once the muscles of the chin begin to slacken, the perfumer cannot mend what time has spoiled. So if you notice this, you must examine your face closely, for you will find that some of your other muscles have begun to slacken as well — either around your eyes or around the other corners of your mouth.

If you notice that the first signs of wrinkles have begun to appear in your face, then beware of delaying to meet them. There are two remedies: one is exercise, the other is massage — and the latter is better left to an expert, if you can find someone to undertake the task.

Beauty parlors are nothing new to woman: they were known to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. In fact, the art of beautification traces its history back to the dawn of human civilization; the queens of ancient Iraq employed every means of beautification, including captivating false hair.

If you know a beauty expert, then hasten to him to have your face massaged. Massage is an expensive operation, but a useful one; you should therefore profit by it as much as you can, and not hesitate to ask the expert about whatever concerns you.

Facial massage is a tonic both to the spirit and to the body. That is why the face looks fresh and its lines relax after massage; for by this operation you will have taken a step toward stopping the hand of the clock.

Some objector may say: and what proof have we of the practical benefit of massage? The answer is that massage takes the place of physical exercises, for it strengthens the muscles by quickening the flow of blood through them; it also checks dryness and the excessive oily secretions of the skin — and this is important, since women, even the young among them, very often do not enjoy healthy skin. Massage benefits the complexion as much as it benefits the muscles beneath.

The alert woman can learn the method of massage after watching it a few times at the beauty parlor. And you should not be afraid to ask what kind of lotion or cream suits the skin of your face.

Astringent preparations are always used in facial massage to firm its muscles and keep the skin from sagging. Some beauty salons also specialize in skin-refreshing massage treatments, using ointments extracted from herbs. After this last treatment with ointments, it is advisable for the lady to take a hot Turkish bath to release the excess oils from the pores.